[IC] The Room

[Overlord Thraka]

*Xan's eyes just about pop out of her skull as she sees Zeta fell the tree with such casual ease*
Xan: By the gods...

*Horus nods to Sasha*
Horus: Well at least it's straightforward.
*He frowns thinking*
Horus: I just wish I could get my hands on a blasted weapon... They don't have a forge or workshop here.
*He sighs and then eyes Eustace*
Horus: Nihongo? (Japanese?)

*Tiaz snarls*
Tiaz: I am no Devilbeast! Where is this Rogue Mage? How can I find them?
*He thinks perhaps that they would make a powerful ally*

[2BlackJack1]

*Lecter nods to Horus*
Lecter: If we come across a Devil, I might be able to bind it into a weapon. Otherwise, I have nothing to give you that I am comfortable with parting with.
*The Devil Hunter glances at his arm blades, which Horus couldn't use comfortably because of his size, and disregards the idea of him using his pistol, and especially Karma*

*Darus laughs for a moment before wincing because of his injury, and he coughs up some blood*
Darus: Easier said than done to find the apostate. Circle Mages, templars... he slips by our fingers.
*Darus turns more pale, as he begins to lose his grasp on this world*

[Overlord Thraka]

*Horus nods*
Horus: That sounds like a plan. For now though, perhaps some rest?
*He looks pointedly at Sasha*

*Tiaz sighs and shakes Darus violently*
Tiaz: Tell me. How do I find this person? How could I at least draw their attention?

[2BlackJack1]

*Lecter shrugs*
Lecter: Whenever the others are ready to set out, I am as well.
*He's grateful that Horus didn't seem to argue at the thought of using a demonic weapon, but is also surprised that he isn't*

*Darus coughs blood at Tiaz, and grits his bloody teeth*
Darus: He'll come if he wants to. Good luck otherwise. If you were a Templar, he would love to skin you inside out. Not sure how the damned apostate deals with cursed beasts.

[Vulkan 707]

Jillian: Sounds good.
*She keeps watch, and smokes her cigarette.*
*Her eyes dart along the treeline, looking for any threats, and listens intensely to her surroundings.*

---
*John shrugs again, and sways slightly afterwords as the alcohol catches up to him.*
John: Well I was waiting for Sasha to get healed up, then we would head into the storm, and probably die! So I wanted to get slightly buzzed before I do another bloody suicide mission!
*He downs another glass.*
*Sasha is indifferent about this considering John is partly right, but also that John is usually drunk during missions, and somehow gets the job done.*
Sasha: John you may have to go without me. I am still heavily injured. So you are the only one with experience, besides me.
John: Shit seriously? Well you get to go on the next suicide mission, and I get to stay home.

[Overlord Thraka]

*Horus frowns*
Horus: How long can we afford to wait? Any time at all? It would be best to have all hands on deck.
*He nods to Sasha*
Horus: And Lecter, any weapon would be fine.

*He looks at John in mild surprise*
Horus: You'd go into battle with your skills impaired? That's... incredibly stupid.
*He frowns at the human in dislike over his actions*
Horus: Sasha, is there any other information that might be of use before we would leave?

*Tiaz snarls and squeezes the man's head again*
Tiaz: Useless fool! You will be my puppet!
*He twists the man's head sharply, attempting to snap his neck as he gets out a vial of some yellow powder*

[2BlackJack1]

*Lecter looks over at Horus again and nods*
Lecter: We'll get you something. Can't promise what it will be though, Devils tend to be assholes about turning into weapons.
*He then shrugs*
Lecter: I trust John. And with guns like his, point and pull the trigger works pretty well from what I can gather.

*As Darus' neck snaps, a crystal shard flies through the air and rips through his skull, sending blood, bones, and brain matter everywhere*
*The same voice that called out to the Templars before calls out again*
Voice: The Templar was mine. Who do you think you are to fuck with me?

[Overlord Thraka]

*Horus nods*
Horus: I think I would be upset too if someone tried turning me into a weapon of some kind.
*He looks between Lecter and John, considering his own trust for the reckless human before nodding.*
Horus: Agreed. John? What's the game plan?

*Tiaz jerks back and snarls, blinking the blood from his eyes as he peers around*
Tiaz: I think myself Tiaz! Who be you that address me as such? Show yourself!
*He emits a low growl as he wipes his face and looks around. He drops the body of the man onto the ground and closes his eyes. He mutters a few words under his breath and slams his staff on the ground again. When he opens his eyes they glow blood red, leaving little glowing trails behind them as he moves his head. His vision has turned infrared as he looks for the owner of the voice by his heat signature*

[Vulkan 707]

John: Don't need to worry about me, I'll be fine on the battlefield. We'll head out into the storm, and one of us blows up the gate.
*He smiles, and takes another swig.*
John: I like to drink, so what? Believe me some of the ops I have been in you would wish you were impaired!
*Though he says it with a smile a slight hollow look takes John for a moment, almost as if he is lost in thought.*
John: Believe me.
*Sasha interrupts the silence.*
Sasha: John you should take my lance, I can-!
John: Hell no! I ain't taking that heavy fucking thing, give it to Harvey birdman. *Gestures to Horus.*

[2BlackJack1]

*Lecter is relieved that he doesn't have to give Horus any of his weapons to borrow, because he's pretty attached to all of them*
Lecter: Then we're all set to go?

*A tree near Tiaz shifts into a robed, aged man carrying a staff, and he smirks at Tiaz*
Man: Enough slamming with that staff. You'll attract a Sylvan with all that noise. Not that I couldn't handle it. And give me your name first, since you so kindly ruined my quality time with that Templar.

[Sgt Vandingo]

*Zeta smiles at Xan's response, then starts cleaving pieces of the trunk into smaller pieces of trunk, eventually getting a sizeable pile of boards that look quite nice compared to the larger pile of discarded wood that Zeta fucked up with.*
Zeta: Would anybody happen to have some nails? If not then I guess we'll just throw them against the hole until they stick. Get it? Stick? Wood? Humour?
*She laughs at her dad joke, and waits for the other to laugh as well.*

---

*Eustace listens, and finally moves away from Sasha cause the others can help her.*
Eustace: I have companions that can assist. Used to these sort of things. Vaseraga is one of them, I am sure at least three of you know of him.
*He's still holding his rifle at rest, and makes no hostile gestures or anything.*

[Overlord Thraka]

*Xan is still too in shock to laugh*
Xan: You... that tree... What are you!? Be you Goddess?!
*She half kneels before Zeta, awed at her power*

*Horus looks more serious and sorrowful*
Horus: Yes... There were times I'd wished that too...
*He looks annoyed at being called Harvey Birdman*
Horus: I am NOT-... Nevermind...
*He looks at Sasha*
Horus: I take it that's not just an ordinary lance?
*His head suddenly snaps to Eustace and he stands quickly, taking a defensive stance*
Horus: Vaseraga is your companion?!
*He doesn't make any aggressive movies, but has a ready stance in case*

*Tiaz growls*
Tiaz: You're the one who has invaded my lands! I lay claim to these lands. I am Tiaz, who be you human?
*He spits the last word out like it's a vicious insult*

[2BlackJack1]

*Lecter sighs*
Lecter: Vaseraga willingly put himself in the maw of a Devil to assist us, even when he didn't even know anything about us aside from our names. Even with his gray actions towards Zeta, I trust him to have some semblance of decency.

*The man laughs, leaning on his staff to prevent himself from falling over*
Man: I apologize, my dear wildebeest. I simply used this land to ambush the Templars, it wasn't meant to be a hole invasion!
*He stops chuckling enough to stand up straight, though he's still smirking*
Man: Finnick. That's the name.

[Overlord Thraka]

*Tiaz's tail swishes back and forth as he considers Finnick*
Tiaz: Templars? Who be these? What are they?
*He glances down at Darus's corpse*
Tiaz: Hmph. You didn't have to explode his head... Useless now...
*He pauses for a moment*
Tiaz: Hold, did you call me a WILDEBEAST?!
*He looks infuriated*

*Taboo decides enough is enough with sneaking around the room and decides to bluff her way into staying there within the sight of others. She drops lightly out of a grate and walks towards the sound of voices. She's in her human form which is that of a rather attractive young woman with flaming red hair. She primps herself slightly as she passes a mirror, making sure her hair is just perfect before striding towards teh bar. Her necklaces clink and clack together as she walks otherwise silently*

[2BlackJack1]

*Finnick tips his staff at Darus*
Finnick: Those fucks. They hunt anyone that's not in their Chantry cult and like killing mages because they're "dangerous". Don't get me wrong, they are dangerous, but mostly because they mess with them in the first place. It's like poking a bee's nest...
*The mage only stops his rant at Tiaz's final question, and he can't help himself from chuckling again*
Finnick: You heard me right. And you act like being human is an insult. Definitely better than being one of those Qun Empire servants or being stuck in Orzammus because seeing the Maker forsaken sun cause a you to be exiled. Now, do you want something from me, or did you just waste my time with bothering that Templar?

[Overlord Thraka]

*Tiaz frowns, considering Finnick's rant over the Templar*
Tiaz: How do mere human warriors kill Magi? They would not have the strength.
*He glares at Finnick again*
Tiaz: Humans are weak, only fit to serve those stronger than them! Just as is all things.
*He frowns again, not understanding a word of what Finnick was referring to*
Tiaz: What? Nevermind, why are you here!? What business have you in this place?

[Sgt Vandingo]

*Zeta instantly tries pulling Xan up, looking a lot more flustered than ever.*
Zeta: No! God no, I just have a amazing spear! Stand up!
*She's so flustered, her cheeks are rosy pink.*

---

*Eustace nods, and doesn't seem bothered by the stance change.*
Eustace: Hai. He is. I assume he has told you about our goal?

[Overlord Thraka]

*Xan is still in awe but stands alongside Zeta*
Xan: O-okay... What spear be it? Weapon of gods? It magickal... that be true yes...
*She stares now more at the weapon than Zeta, but again is still overcome with amazement at it*

*Horus frowns between Lecter and Eustace*
Horus: Yes, he did. After he nearly destroyed the kitchen trying to kill someone. As it stands I'm not not very fond of him.
*He focuses on Eustace and speaks in Japanese (Which for simplicity's sake I'm just going to post in English because Google Translate sucks)*
Horus: His methods are brutal and I don't trust him, explain what might make you different.

[2BlackJack1]

*Lecter shrugs*
Lecter: He wants some book from Zeta because it's got secrets of governments being tyrants.
*He's pretty nonchalant about it, as he's used to actual Devils, and even though it disappoints him, he knows that humans can be as bad as Devils on occasion*

*Finnick shakes his head*
Finnick: They have armor that saps at magical strength, and they normally get high on Lyrium. Believe me, they're very good at killing mages when they try hard enough. Luckily, they haven't found out just how hard they need to try to get even close to me. Doubt they will, either!
*He shrugs at Tiaz's question*
Finnick: Well, I was looking for some elfroot, and I caught word of some Templars looking for me. Couldn't pass up the opportunity to enjoy myself, and give my friends at the Chantry a warning. As for business, so far nothing.

[Sgt Vandingo]

*Zeta smiles, still blushing, and looks at her spear. It's a combined look of knowledge and awe, and she nods.*
Zeta: In a way. Technology from a very long time ago, some magic, and a bit of other things I'm not entitled to speak about. Oh, speaking of things I can't talk about, Jillian, the book is buried in the forest. I hid it well cause I already had suspicions about being followed.

---

*Eustace keeps his face blank as always, but he does tilt his head.*
Eustace: If he wanted her dead, she would be dead.
*He then swaps to his natural dialect, but continues his emotionless tone.*
Eustace: I don't trust you either, but to be completely honest I don't care if you trust me or not. My agenda is my own, and it happens to be impeded by that storm.
*He looks back at Lecter wothout a second thought, and his ear flicks sightly.*
Eustace: Correct. Retrieval of the stolen property is foremost.